Department for Transport

*No heading*

lord west of spithead: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the difference in carbon footprint of using a ship versus aircraft for travel to and from the Isles of Scilly.

baroness vere of norbiton: No assessment has been made by the Government on the difference in carbon footprint of using a ship versus aircraft for travel to and from the Isles of Scilly.

*No heading*

lord bradshaw: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case fora Scotland to the West Country Sleeper service to improve inter-regional connectivity.

baroness vere of norbiton: No assessment of such a service has been made, but my Department would be happy to discuss the case with the Scottish Government.

*No heading*

lord bradshaw: Her Majesty's Government whethercurrent forecasts for rail freight potential take account of the need to reduce heavy lorry mileage by 2050.

baroness vere of norbiton: The rail freight forecasts do not explicitly consider the need to reduce heavy lorry mileage.

*No heading*

lord bradshaw: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic and environmental benefits of an electrified rail-freight network between (1) major ports and inland terminals, and (2) major quarries and city centre terminals, in order to reduce (a) pollution and congestion on the trunk road network, and (b) mileage by heavy lorries.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government is committed to reducing air pollution created by transport and more broadly, ensuring the railway plays its part in delivering our ambition of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We will continue to explore potential options, including electrification, as well as using other low emitting fuels. The Government will develop a multi-modal freight strategy, to include a response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s report ‘Better Delivery: The Challenge for Freight’. This strategy will be developed alongside the Department’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan to cover the decarbonisation of freight across all transport modes

*No heading*

lord bradshaw: Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the (1) current, and (2) future, haulage capacity of freight locomotives; and whether they include any such estimatein plans for the future development of the rail network.

baroness vere of norbiton: Haulage capacity of freight locomotives are a matter for Freight Operating Companies (FOCs). FOCs are private sector companies and receive no state funding for the procurement of rolling stock. However, the July 2019 report by the Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce and RSSB – “Final Report to the Minister for Rail” - estimate that there are currently around 850 freight locomotives in regular service, moving around 19 billion net tonne kilometres of freight per year (2016-2017).Network Rail published a rail freight forecast for 2033/34 and 43/44 in July 2019. This study analysed the existing haulage capacity of freight locomotives. In addition, one scenario considered the impacts of an increase of 2.2m square metres of warehousing capacity and a 5% increase in train length by 2033/34. These scenarios and forecasts are used when appraising freight infrastructure upgrades through the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP).

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

*No heading*

lord bassam of brighton: Her Majesty's Government what budget provision they have made for the Horizon Research Programme beyond 2020.

lord duncan of springbank: UK scientists, researchers and businesses can continue to participate in, bid for and lead projects in the Horizon 2020 programme as usual after the 31 January 2020. The Political Declaration indicates a shared intent between UK and EU leaders to agree a framework that would support future collaboration in science, research and innovation. On Horizon Europe, there are a number of elements of this package yet to be agreed, including the provisions on third country association and the Programme budget; these elements will inform our decision on future participation.

*No heading*

lord myners: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the regional disparities in small business lending, as reported in The Times on 21 January.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government is committed to levelling up across the whole country so that businesses can access the funding they need to thrive wherever they are. The British Business Bank (BBB) is a government-owned economic development bank which helps to drive economic growth by making finance markets work better for small businesses, enabling them to prosper and grow. Since BBB was established in 2014, it has supported over £7 billion of finance to over 91,000 SMEs across the UK (as at June 2019) and continues to grow. The stock of finance supported by the bank grew by 31% year on year (from June 2018 to June 2019). BBB’s Start Up Loans programme has so far provided 69,201 loans worth over £558m to small businesses (at end-December 2019) and has delivered loans in every parliamentary constituency in the UK.  BBB has introduced specific funds and activities to help address regional disparities in access to finance, which are having an increasingly significant impact. These have equity and debt finance components, with the balance of debt to equity set according to the specific needs of the businesses in those regions. The funds include:The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) which has invested over £140m of an overall £400m fund in over 500 ambitious SMEs across the Northern Powerhouse region, in deals that have attracted an additional £140m of investment from the private sector (as of Nov 2019). £80.6m of NPIF so far has been made in debt finance to 474 businesses;The Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) which has invested over £48 million of an overall £250m fund in over 200 businesses, in deals that have attracted an additional £27m of investment from the private sector (as of Nov 2019). £23.9m of MEIF so far has been in debt finance to 177 businesses. For equity investment, the BBB also has a £100m Regional Angels Programme, which is designed to help reduce regional imbalances in access to early stage equity finance for smaller businesses across the UK (launched in October 2018 by British Business Investments, a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank). In September 2019, the first £10m commitment through the programme was made to one of the largest business angel networks in the North of England which primarily operates in the North West, Yorkshire and the North East with more commitments to be announced in the coming year. The UK Network, established in early 2019 by the British Business Bank is a UK-wide network of relationship managers which will continue to enhance and further build BBB’s relationships with key SME access to finance stakeholders across the UK and thereby help tackle regional imbalances in access to finance, including for smaller businesses seeking debt finance at all stages of their development.

*No heading*

lord west of spithead: Her Majesty's Government what are the current peak energy requirements of the UK; and what such requirements are predicted to be in 2032.

lord duncan of springbank: National Grid has estimated energy demand for four different future scenarios in the latest version of the future energy scenarios 2019, these are presented in Figure 4.1 on pages 46 and 47. Current (2020) estimated peak annual energy requirements for Great Britain range from 900 to 1,100TWh, depending on the scenario. The same scenarios are used to predict total annual energy requirements for 2032 of between 700 and 1,000TWh.



Future Energy Scenarios 2019
(PDF Document, 7.01 MB)

*No heading*

baroness scott of needham market: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Brexit on the UK's membership of the European Committee for Standardization; what discussions they have had with the British Standards Institution on the issue; and what were the outcomes of any such discussions.

lord duncan of springbank: The European standards organisations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI) are not EU bodies and the British Standards Institution (BSI) is independent from government. We are in regular contact with BSI and are supportive of the steps that they, as the UK’s national standards body, are taking to maintain the high level of influence of UK experts in the European standards organisations, as set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between Government and BSI. BSI have informed the Department of their intention to retain their membership of the European standards organisations in line with the wishes of UK stakeholders.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

*No heading*

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports that a Palestinian political prisoner who was released after an 18 year sentence from Negev Detention Camp on 14 January was immediately re-interned without charge or trial.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Whilst we have not made any representations on this specific issue, we remain concerned about Israel's extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees.

*No heading*

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports that Palestinian fruit and vegetable stalls and their contents have been destroyed by Israeli forces and that stall holders were threatened not to return.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made any representations on this specific incident. The Government remains concerned about actions which further entrench the Israeli occupation, cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, and are harmful to the peace process.

*No heading*

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about ensuring that the reported perpetrator of a hit and run incident that injured a Palestinian girl on 14 January is brought to justice swiftly.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Whilst we have not raised this issue specifically with the Israeli Government, we call on the Israeli authorities to thoroughly investigate every instance and allegation of crimes against protected persons in the West Bank, and where appropriate bring those responsible to justice. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.

*No heading*

baroness eaton: Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey have taken to categorise possiblestate sponsors of terrorism.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not been involved in any steps to categorise state sponsors of terrorism.

*No heading*

lord jones of cheltenham: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the anticipated impact on the Falkland Islands fishing industry when the UK leaves the EU.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The United Kingdom Government and Government of the Falkland Islands have worked together to conduct relevant analysis on the impact of Brexit on the Falkland Island economy and fishing industry in particular.The United Kingdom Government understands the importance of preferential access to the EU market to the prosperity of the Falkland Islands. The average EU Most Favoured Nation tariff on products caught by United Kingdom and Falkland-flagged vessels and exported to the EU would be just over 6%.Ministers and officials have worked with counterparts across the British Overseas Territories (OTs) as they prepare to trade with the EU as non-EU associated territories, and the UK Government has been clear about its commitment to reflecting OT interests in the negotiations for the future UK-EU relationship.

*No heading*

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Her Majesty's Government how they intend to implement the recommendations of the Tailored Review of the British Council, published on 12 March 2019; and how the British Council will be involved in any such implementation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been working closely with the British Council to ensure that all recommendations from the 2019 Tailored Review are implemented by summer 2020.

*No heading*

lord hylton: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL455), how many exemptions and licences have been issued for British exports to Syria in the last two years;and whether those were granted to (1) commercial, or (2) other, groups.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: For the most recent two-year period for which data is available (1 October 2017 – 30 September 2019), eight Single Individual Export Licences were issued for Syria of which none were provided to commercial end-users. All the licences were for humanitarian purposes. No licences were granted to the Syrian regime or armed opposition groups.In addition, one Open Individual Export Licence was issued in this period, covering goods for humanitarian end use. Information about licences granted between 1 October 2019 – 31 December 2019 is due to be published on GOV.UK on 14 April 2020. The British Government does not grant 'exemptions' for export licences.

*No heading*

baroness helic: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China about reports that Uighur Muslims are being recruited for forced labour in Xinjiang; what assessment they have made of the risk that the supply chains of (1) UK, and (2) UK-based companies could include products manufactured using such forced labour; and what guidance they have given to UK and UK-based companies in this regard.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Reports indicating that forced labour is being used in Xinjiang adds to the growing body of evidence about the disturbing situation that Uyghurs and other minorities are facing in the region. We regularly raise concerns about Xinjiang at the UN and directly with the Chinese Government. We are also aware of the risks to supply chains in the UK and officials have discussed the issue with businesses and industry standard setting organisations. As set out in our online Overseas Business Risk guidance, businesses involved in investing in Xinjiang, with parts of their supply chains in Xinjiang, or with any other business involvement in the province should consider conducting appropriate due diligence to satisfy themselves that their activities do not support, or risk being seen to support, any human rights violations or abuses.

Department for Education

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: Finance

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether funding for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is consistent with funding for similar institutions based in London.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the remit of the Office for Students so that it can make direct grants to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire commensurate with (1) the levelof similar institutions in London, and (2) its national status.

baroness berridge: Birmingham City University, of which The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a part, is registered with the Office for Students (OfS) in the approved (fee cap) category of the OfS’s register. It is funded by government, via the OfS, in a way that is consistent with the approach the OfS takes to other such providers, including those in London. While the Secretary of State for Education issues strategic guidance to the OfS, including its funding priorities, the OfS is ultimately responsible for funding decisions. The OfS is planning to review its funding method, including for specialist providers, and will consult on those changes in due course.We do not have any plans to review the remit of the OfS in relation to their funding powers.

*No heading*

lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the amount of secure accommodation in England for children with severe behavioural problems.

lord agnew of oulton: Secure Children’s Homes provide specialist care in a secure environment for vulnerable children and young people aged between 10 and 17. They offer care for young people who have either been remanded or sentenced by the courts or detained for their own welfare or to ensure the safety of others. Local authorities are responsible for making sure places are available for their looked-after children and we are working with them to ensure the children’s homes system is joined up at a national level.We recognise that there are only a small number of Secure Children’s Homes and that is why we are expanding provision available in England through our £40 million capital programme. We established and continue to fund the Secure Welfare Coordination Unit to help plan and coordinate placements based on individual needs. In addition, we provided funding to local and combined authorities to commission feasibility studies into opening new secure provision to increase available capacity.More broadly, we are working across government to ensure we are aligned on key issues relevant to the broader children’s secure estate, including youth custody and mental health provision. We are also considering the needs and characteristics of young people across the estate and how provision can better meet the needs of those young people entering the system.We are also supporting NHS England’s Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS), which is being delivered in partnership across government to improve the overall mental health support of children in the secure estate.

*No heading*

lord browne of belmont: Her Majesty's Government how many young people aged between 16 and 19 years old were not in education, employment or training in each quarter of 2018.

lord agnew of oulton: The number and proportion of 16 to 18 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England for each quarter of 2018[1] can be found in the table below:   January to March 2018Number of 16 to 18 year old NEETs117,000Percentage of 16 to 18 year old NEETs6.5%April to June 2018Number of 16 to 18 year old NEETs117,000Percentage of 16 to 18 year old NEETs6.5%July to September 2018Number of 16 to 18 year old NEETs148,000Percentage of 16 to 18 year old NEETs8.2%October to December 2018Number of 16 to 18 year old NEETs124,000Percentage of 16 to 18 year old NEETs7% Source: ‘NEET statistics annual brief: 2018’, from the ‘Labour Force Survey’, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief-2018. Numbers rounded to the nearest 1000.It should be noted, that due to seasonal variation in NEET rates, comparisons should not be made between in-year quarters.   The proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) was the lowest on record in the first 3 quarters of 2018. As shown in the table below, there has been a downward trend in 16 to 18 year old NEETs since 2010:   Percentage of 16 to 18 year old NEETs in 2010Percentage of 16 to 18 year old NEETs in 2018Change (in percentage points)January to March10.2%6.5%-3.7April to June10.3%6.5%-3.8July to September13.5%8.2%-5.3October to December8.3%7.0%-1.3 Local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and support young people who are NEET. Under Raising the Participation Age, all young people in England are now required to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. Most continue until the end of the academic year in which they turn 18. Additionally, the government invested around £7 billion during the last academic year to ensure there was a place in education or training for every 16 to 19 year old. Regarding further education, the Adult Education Budget funds the first full level 2 and 3 qualifications for 19 to 23 year olds, training up to level 2 for unemployed people and English and maths for all adults who have not achieved level 2.   [1] The figures are based on young people aged 16 to 18 as at 31 August 2018, the start of the academic year, and will therefore include young people who turn 19 throughout the course of the 2018/19 academic year.

*No heading*

baroness barker: Her Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of the readiness of schools to implement the statutory teaching of Relationships and Sex Education from September 2020.

baroness barker: Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide a detailed breakdown of the £6 million committed expenditure on Relationships and Sex Education in 2019–20.

baroness barker: Her Majesty's Government how their forthcoming Relationships Education implementation guide will (1) clarify the importance of Relationships and Sex Education within Relationships Education, and (2) support schools to develop inclusive practice in this regard.

lord agnew of oulton: The new subjects of relationships education (for primary age pupils), relationships and sex education (for secondary age pupils) and health education (for all pupils in state-funded schools) will become compulsory in September 2020. Many schools are already teaching aspects of these subjects as part of their sex and relationship education provision or personal, social, health and economic education programme. Schools have flexibility to determine how to deliver the new content in the context of a broad and balanced curriculum.The department is committed to supporting teachers to teach the new subjects with confidence, and to a high quality which is why we are developing a central programme of support for schools for these subjects, which will be available to all teachers from spring 2020.Our programme of support will offer opportunities for teachers to improve subject knowledge, build confidence and access classroom resources. We will ensure that all of the department’s materials supporting implementation of the new subjects are inclusive, and recognise fully the need to disseminate the good practice in teaching about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender relationships that is seen in large numbers of our schools as well as the importance of reflecting the needs of pupils with a special educational need or disability when planning the curriculum for these subjects. Our budget this year of up to £6 million for implementing the new subjects will ensure that this support for teachers will be accessed through a new online service and will include an implementation guide. This will accompany the statutory guidance, case studies from other schools, access to quality assured resources and innovative materials to support staff training.Training for teachers will also be available through existing regional networks, and we are working with expert organisations, schools and teachers to develop this package. The department is also working with ‘early adopter schools’, some of whom have chosen to start teaching some or all of the new content early, in order to support their journey, learn lessons and share good practice. Last year we held 4 national conferences for those schools who are ‘early adopter schools’.

*No heading*

lord harris of haringey: Her Majesty's Government when the Department for Education expects to award the contract for "an information and advice service for families including kinship carers of children at risk or involved in the care system” which was intended to start on 1 April 2020.

lord harris of haringey: Her Majesty's Government why a decisionwas taken to delay the tender process for the contract for "an information and advice service for families including kinship carers of children at risk or involved in the care system” to share Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) information with all bidders when the Invitation to Tender document had specifically stated that consideration of the application of TUPE was not a matter of direct concern to the Department for Education and that it was the responsibility of tenderers to consider whether TUPE applies in the circumstances of this contract and tender accordingly.

lord harris of haringey: Her Majesty's Government what measures the Department for Education are taking to ensure that information and advice services for families, including kinship carers of children at risk or involved in the care system, are provided without interruption over the next six months.

lord agnew of oulton: The department is in the process of tendering for "an information and advice service for families including kinship carers of children at risk or involved in the care system”.Our intention remains to award this contract in March 2020 for the service to start on 1 April 2020. It is not the responsibility of the department to determine whether Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) applies. However, it is the responsibility of the department to ensure that, where TUPE may apply, relevant information is made available to all suppliers.Following a request by a potential bidder, the tendering deadline was extended to allow bidders time to factor TUPE information into their bids. The department will work with any winning bidder and the existing provider to ensure the service is not interrupted.

Ministry of Justice

*No heading*

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to classify hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as aggravated offences.

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reform the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to define hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as aggravated offences.

lord black of brentwood: Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all protected characteristics from hate crime are treated equally under sentencing laws.

lord keen of elie: The Law Commission have been invited to review the law relating to hate crime and to make recommendations to the Government for its reform. The review began in March 2019. Specifically, the Law Commission have been asked to consider the current range of offences and aggravating factors in sentencing, and to make recommendations on the most appropriate models to ensure that the criminal law provides consistent and effective protection from conduct motivated by hatred towards protected groups or characteristics. The review will also take account of the existing range of protected characteristics, identifying any gaps in the scope of protection currently offered under the law and making recommendations to promote a consistent approach. The Law Commission plan to issue a consultation on this matter in early 2020. Further information on the review can be found on the Law Commission webpage at: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/hate-crime/ Under the current law, the courts already have a duty to treat evidence of hostility based on someone’s sexual orientation or transgender identity as an aggravating factor when considering the seriousness of an offence. Where an offence is proven, this would merit an increase in penalty within the maximum available for that offence.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

*No heading*

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 21 January (HL187), what criteria they use to assess what constitutes a “legitimate criticism” of a religion when investigating any incident that has been reported by someone who has perceived it to “be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s religion or perceived religion”; and what steps they take to ensure freedom of expression is upheld.

viscount younger of leckie: Once a hate crime has been reported it is for the police to investigate whether a hate crime has been committed, in line with the relevant legislation, and to refer cases to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether there should be a charge.In order for a crime to be charged and prosecuted as a hate crime, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) uses the legal definitions contained in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (CDA 1998) and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA 2003).The CPS assesses each case on its individual facts and circumstances. Prosecutions can only be brought in line with legislation and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.The CPS legal guidance on hate crime recognises the right to freedom of expression set out in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The legal guidance makes it clear that it is not only speech which is well-received and popular that is protected but also speech which is potentially offensive, shocking or disturbing. The CPS seeks to balance the right to freedom of speech and expression against the duty of the state to act proportionately.

*No heading*

lord hylton: Her Majesty's Government what statutory help, if any, they have provided to Emmaus communities in England and Wales over the last 10 years.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government recently announced £422 million in funding to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in 2020/21, an increase of £54 million on 2019/20. We do not hold specific data on statutory help offered to Emmaus Communities, but this funding enables local authorities to work closely with charities and local organisations including through our faith communities.Charities, and the thousands of people who volunteer with them, make a real difference to vulnerable people’s lives. We all need to work together to break the homelessness cycle.The Homelessness Reduction Act, the most ambitious reform to homelessness legislation in decades, came into force on 3 April 2018. This new Act places statutory duties on local authorities and other public bodies to work together to actively prevent homelessness for people at risk. Local authorities must offer meaningful assistance to anyone who is threatened with homelessness, and to work with those who are already homeless to enable them to secure housing.Acting earlier and for a broader range of people means more people will get the help they need before they face a homelessness crisis. Local authorities must now work with people at risk of losing their homes to develop personalised housing plans, tailored to focus on the needs and circumstances of the household.We have overhauled the statutory homelessness data collection alongside the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act. This will give us better insights into the causes of homelessness and the support people need. The new statutory homelessness data collection is called H-CLIC.

*No heading*

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Her Majesty's Government what additional action is being taken to alert customers of hotels with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding which do not comply with building regulation requirements of the ACM cladding on any such hotel.

viscount younger of leckie: Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the “Fire Safety Order”), responsible persons for hotels must ensure that they have completed a fire risk assessment and that it is regularly reviewed to ensure that the fire safety measures in place remain appropriate and are being adequately maintained. This includes assessing and where appropriate, taking the necessary steps to reduce the risk on the external walls which may include cladding.All hotels that have confirmed ACM cladding have been visited by the local fire and rescue service to ensure that the appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place. Hotels will have a range of comprehensive fire safety measures which may include a 24-hour concierge, simultaneous fire evacuation strategy and a fully functioning alarm system. If hotels do not have sufficient mitigating measures, the fire and rescue service has the power to take appropriate enforcement action.The Department continues to work with the Home Office and National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to ensure correct fire safety arrangements are in place on all high-rise hotels to mitigate risks and to ensure remediation is taking place.

*No heading*

baroness gardner of parkes: Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with local authoritiesin Greater London about thelicensing of propertiesto be used as short-term holiday lets; and what werethe outcomes of any such discussions.

viscount younger of leckie: My Department has not discussed this specific issue with local authorities in Greater London since the 2019 General Election. However, my Department has regular contact with local authorities and remains open to discussing any concerns they hold.While the Government does not require short-term accommodation providers to register, the Short Term Accommodation Association has developed an accreditation scheme, in partnership with Quality in Tourism, called ‘Safe, Clean and Legal’.

*No heading*

baroness gardner of parkes: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of short-term holiday lets on the availability of housing for those who wish to live in London.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government has not made such an assessment. However, restrictions are in place to limit the use of residential property for short-term let in London. The Deregulation Act 2015 imposes a 90-day limit on any such letting within a single calendar year.The sharing economy plays an important role in accommodating tourists, who make a huge financial contribution to the country. But there are also legitimate concerns about the impact on local communities. The Government remains open to hearing the views of all stakeholders on the matter. It is important to find ways to address these concerns without placing too great a burden on the growing sharing economy.

*No heading*

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 13 January (HL292), when the removal and replacement of Aluminium Composite Material cladding will be completed.

viscount younger of leckie: It is important to recognise remediation work cannot be done overnight – and it must be done properly. The time to complete works varies considerably depending on factors such as structure, extent of cladding, and existing fire safety systems. For many buildings this is a complex job involving major construction work.The £600 million which the Government has committed to remediate high-rise buildings with unsafe ACM cladding removes the biggest blocker to pace of remediation. Further delay from building owners is unacceptable and their buildings must be made safe as soon as possible. From next month, those responsible for buildings will be named where remediation has not started, and only be removed from the public list when it has. The Department will also be working with the relevant local authorities to support enforcement where necessary.

*No heading*

baroness mone: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce new non-tax incentives after Brexit to support the UK housing market.

viscount younger of leckie: This Government is committed to delivering safe, secure and affordable housing to people across the country and is working closely with the industry to support the market.I am focused on delivering the comprehensive suite of housing measures set out in the manifesto to deliver at least another million homes in the next five years and make further progress towards the target of 300,000 new houses a year by the mid-2020s.This includes ambitious measures such as renewing the Affordable Homes Programme, making the planning system simpler, and a new single housing infrastructure fund.

*No heading*

baroness jones of whitchurch: Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the of the speed of recovery in the communities affected by the November 2019 floods.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government has been supporting local authorities from the outset of the November flooding. The Flood Recovery Framework was swiftly activated, to ensure that local authorities could implement local recovery schemes. In partnership with BEIS, the framework provides funding for local authorities to help affected residents and businesses to recover from the flooding, as well as reimbursements to local authorities for providing 100% council tax and business rates to these affected properties.The Government also committed to matching up to £1 million of funds raised by the South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Appeal Fund. We have pledged a further £300,000 of match-funding for other eligible areas affected by recent flooding, where the Flood Recovery Framework has been activated.Government continues to engage with local partners to wholly understand the local situation and provide adequate support.

Department for Work and Pensions

*No heading*

lord watson of invergowrie: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult with interested parties prior to the publication this year of the national strategy for disabled people outlined in the Queen's Speech.

baroness stedman-scott: The Government will publish a National Strategy for Disabled People in 2020 focusing on removing barriers to ensure disabled people can lead a life of opportunity and fully participate in British society. The strategy will be developed with disabled people, disability organisations and charities, and will support disabled people in all aspects and phases of their lives, including housing, education, transport and jobs.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Forests

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support measures to address international deforestation.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The UK Government has a long and proud history of supporting action to combat deforestation. As part of our 25 Year Environment Plan, we have committed to protect the world’s forests by enhancing sustainability and supporting deforestation-free supply chains. We are signatory to the Amsterdam Declarations and have endorsed the New York Declaration on Forests, which supports a fully sustainable palm oil supply chain from 2020. The Government recently convened a Global Resource Initiative taskforce, which will report this spring and recommend actions the UK can take to address our global commodity supply chain footprint. We are a member of Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, a public-private partnership working to help organisations achieve their deforestation-free commitments. In addition the UK has set up the Partnership for Forests Programme, which supports organisations that produce agricultural goods without causing deforestation. We have also been at the forefront of tackling illegal logging though our commitment to the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade and Timber Regulations. At the 2015 Paris climate summit, Germany, Norway and the UK pledged $5 billion over the period 2015 to 2020 to developing countries to protect forests. We have a shared objective of ensuring the forests and land-use sector plays a key role in meeting global climate goals along with encouraging ambitious action from developing countries to protect their rainforests while supporting communities to develop sustainable forest practices. Our International Climate Finance (ICF) spending is our primary mechanism to meet the UK’s international forest commitments.At the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September 2019, the Prime Minister announced that the ICF will be doubled to at least £11.6 billion between 2021/22 and 2025/26, in a clear signal that the UK is stepping up its efforts even further to address climate change and tackle deforestation. This fund will include spending to protect forests and mangroves, create new protected areas and restore degraded ecosystems which were once home to forests, mangroves and other precious habitats.

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lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ban the export of plastic waste.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government is deeply concerned about the illegal trade in waste, including reports of illegal plastic waste exported from the UK. Recognising the difficulties experienced by some countries in managing imports of plastic waste the Queen’s Speech on the 19 December included a commitment to ban the export of polluting plastic wastes to countries that are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Environment Bill includes a power which will enable us to deliver on this commitment and we will consult this year on the date by which this should be achieved.

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lord hunt of chesterton: Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to taketoensure thathazard data is publicly available and visible,in particular, data on (1) coastal erosion, (2) wind strength, (3) flood risks, and (4) the impact on the delivery of emergency services.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government has already taken a number of steps to ensure that hazard data is publicly available and visible. The Environment Agency (EA) publishes data and maps on coastal erosion and flood risks. The EA also issues flood warnings and flood alerts as part of the Government Digital Service. These are publicly available. The EA also makes other environmental data openly available for download via the Defra Data Services Platform. The Met Office provides forecasts of average wind speed and wind gust speed up to a week ahead. This is available on the Met Office’s public website and its app. When wind is deemed likely to pose a significant hazard, the Met Office issues warnings to public and emergency responders as part of the National Severe Weather Warning Service. Warnings are accessible from the Met Office through its app and also widely available via many other media channels. More widely, the National Risk Register (NRR) is a public-facing document that delivers an overview of the key risks most likely to cause disruption in the UK and provides key guidance on individual preparedness during emergencies. The NRR is the declassified version of the National Security Risk Assessment, a cross-Government document that rigorously assesses key risks and their impacts on the UK, including extensive data on the disruption to emergency services. Though it cannot publish all data due to inherent sensitivities, the NRR identifies disruption to emergency services as a key consequence of many of the natural hazards and, where possible, links to key websites hosting hazard data and information on potential disruptions are provided. The current NRR can be found on the GOV.UK website and an updated version will be published in the first half of 2020.

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lord carrington: Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toprevent any negative effect on the income of cereal and livestock farmers as a result of the wet weather.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra has been working closely with all farming sectors on the impacts of the wet weather experienced over the autumn and winter. In recognition of the difficulties caused to farmers by flooding, Defra has made a total of £4 million available to eligible farmers through the Farming Recovery Fund. In August Defra announced up to £2 million available for farming businesses in Wainfleet and North Yorkshire that were particularly hard-hit by flooding, and in November 2019, Defra announced that it would extend the scheme to cover those impacted by the November flooding with a further £2 million. Assistance is provided to cover non-insurable items and activities such as re-cultivation, reseeding, reinstating field boundaries and removing debris from agricultural land. During the current six year capital investment programme (from April 2015 to March 2021) the Government is investing a record £2.6 billion in over 1,000 flood defences schemes which will better protect 300,000 homes and an additional 700,000 acres (285,000 hectares) of agricultural land, helping to avoid more than £1.5 billion worth of direct economic damages to agricultural land. In terms of the wider impact of the wet weather on farmers, Defra is continuing to observe price movements and other market information. For example, we will give close attention to the results of the Early Bird Survey, which the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is rerunning to take account of the impact of the wet weather on winter cereal plantings. We appreciate that the effects of the wet weather upon cash flow, yields, and other outcomes may only become apparent in the longer term, and will continue to engage closely with sectors in the coming months as to the negative impact from wet weather and to determine whether any action is needed.

Cabinet Office

Dementia and Mental Illness

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the next meeting of the British–Irish Council discusses (1) mental health, and (2) dementia, medical and social care provision.

earl howe: The British Irish Council supports 11 work sector programmes, the members of whom meet regularly at official and ministerial level. These thematic policy groups include Social Inclusion, Housing and Collaborative Spatial Planning, Digital Inclusion and Misuse of Substances, which each cover aspects of mental health and social care. As part of the agenda for the next main Summit meeting the Council will be provided with an update on the 11 work sector programmes.

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lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to relocate the House of Lords to York.

earl howe: The Government has an aspiration that all parts of the United Kingdom should feel connected to politics and indeed to politicians.We are looking at options to further that objective.

Treasury

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lord birt: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that (1) the precise spot rate, and (2) the commission charged, are identified for all consumer foreign currency transactions at the moment of the transaction post-Brexit.

the earl of courtown: Under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, where a currency conversion service is offered before the initiation of the payment transaction, the party offering the currency conversion service must disclose to the payer all charges as well as the exchange rate to be used for converting the payment transaction. This will not change after the UK leaves the EU. From April 2020, the EU’s Cross Border Payments Regulation, known as CBPR2, will require greater transparency on currency conversion charges and exchange rates when making payments, either at a point of sale or an ATM. After 31 January, the UK and EU will enter an implementation period, during which EU laws that currently apply, or will start to apply during the implementation period, will apply to the UK. Under the terms of section 8 of the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 (and as further amended by the EU Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020) the Government has the power to fix deficiencies in EU legislation retained following the Implementation Period.

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lord bradshaw: Her Majesty's Government whether they have given new policy guidance to the National Infrastructure Commission following the Government's decision to implement a target for net-zero emissions by 2050.

the earl of courtown: Infrastructure will be central to meeting the UK’s 2050 zero-emissions targets, and so decarbonisation will be one of the central objectives of the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS), due to be published alongside the Budget. The NIS will also provide the Government’s formal response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC’s) 2018 assessment of the UK’s infrastructure needs, which included a range of recommendations relating to decarbonising the UK economy. As per the NIC’s framework document, the NIC must already take account of the Government’s legal obligations, including carbon reduction targets or assessments of environmental impacts.